I am a twenty-six year-old girl. In 2004 I had several problems of dryness: in my eyes, vaginal infections (with a candidiasis that lasted for almost five months), dryness in my mouth and intense, if short lasting, pain in my hands and ankles.

I went to my pphthalmologist, who, after my second visit in less than a month, thought about sending me to a rheumatologist. In about an hour he gave a precise answer to every symptom I had during 2004: Sjogren's Syndrome. I had some analysis afterwards and there I discovered I also had an autoimmune thyroid gland.

Just like that, I started therapy on cortisone and Plaquenil. Since January 2005, and until the end of April, I followed this therapy, which included artificial tears and gels, but I did not have any positive results. I decided to stop the cortisone since all it had achieved was to make me really swollen and damage my teeth.

This year, after continuing to be sick, I visited the rheumatologist again. He sent me for analysis yet another time and started a new therapy with Methotrexate. I get a shot every week. I have just begun, and must wait patiently for at least a month before seeing any results.

I am confident! My eyes and my bones will thank me! I hope I can stop these antibodies that will give me trouble during the warmer months.

If you would like to contact me, do so to the e-mail you find here.